Chloe Rising
by KeDe
Summary: Does John Wakefield's murderous revenge destroy everyone and everything in its path, including Chloe?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Although the shadows were now more constant, which meant that darkness was fast approaching, Chloe dared not open her eyes. She didn't know where he was. He could still be watching her.

Chloe had no idea how long it had been since she had gone over the edge of the bridge, or how long she had lain prostrate in the water, floating on her back like a piece of driftwood. The impact with the water had rendered her unconscious for a while. When she came to, it had to at least have been an hour ago, she had just lain there on the water, wishing she was dead because Cal was. She knew it, she had seen it.

Her dear, sweet Cal had been killed and tossed over the edge of the bridge by that monster. Even as he was dying, blood seeping from his nose and mouth, Cal had turned to her and said: "I love you."

And Chloe loved him more than anything. He was the purest, gentlest man she had ever known. Now he was there, somewhere with her in the water. Dead. Cal had been such a good person. He didn't deserve to be dead.

Chloe didn't want to but she did remember looking into the face of that monster. It looked liked the face of a normal man. But with all the innocent people he had hunted down and murdered like animals, John Wakefield could never be labeled normal.

Poor Cal. He had died trying to save her. And he had. No way would she let his death be in vain. She was still alive and as long as she was, Wakefield would now be the hunted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

Even as the shadows deepened, Chloe didn't move or open her eyes. She felt a chill come over her. She was getting cold. She'd have to leave the water soon but not yet. She'd think about something pleasant. Being at the beach as a child. She had always loved going to the beach and floating on the water. Not swimming, just floating on her back and she had become quite good at it. So now, she just floated as she thought on what to do. She knew she wanted to kill Wakefield, there was no doubt about that. And she had the advantage: he thought she was dead.

Strangely, Chloe didn't feel frightened anymore. She had been afraid constantly, ever since they had learned there was a killer on the island. Even when Cal was with her she had been afraid because she knew the killer wanted them dead. Now Cal and a good many of their friends were dead, sadistic victims of a madman with a thirst for innocent blood. She wanted to go home, show off her ring, make love to Cal everyday, marry him, have his children, and grow old with him. She had had these thoughts ever since the first time they had kissed, but with his death, none of that would be possible. So telling Wakefield "You can't have me," right before going over the bridge had seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do.

What was it he had said to her? _"I almost died for a woman like you."_

What the hell did that mean? No woman like her would ever be interested in someone like him. Maybe that was what he was so angry about. It was crazy. He was crazy. Unrequited love didn't seem like enough of a reason to go on a murderous rampage. It had to be more than that. Or did it? Perhaps he was just a lunatic with a penchant for blood. Anybody's blood. Because they had all been so afraid of him, he had gotten the best of them. Her friends and Cal, especially Cal, would never know she had defied him. She hadn't been brave, just heartbroken, and sad, and mad, for what she had seen him do to Cal and for what he had done to her friends.

No, Chloe was determined not to allow herself to become another one of his victims.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**A/N:** I started _Chloe Rising_ after watching Splash, which was the last episode I watched. I am committed to seeing this story through to the end and I have an idea where I want it to go. However, be prepared for it not to follow the plot of the show.

Just as she had learned to do during her swimming classes, Chloe moved herself through the water, gliding slowly, barely making a ripple. It was completely dark now and she could barely see. She only dared move now because she couldn't imagine that Wakefield would have remained on the bridge, especially when there were still other people left on the island to kill. She wanted dearly to track him down and kill him but she realized trying to do that would be a suicide mission. Instead, she had decided to get to the boat she and Cal had rented and go for help.

Chloe froze when her hand bumped against something in the water! She quickly drew her hand away and stopped moving, causing a splash. What had she touched? Was it Cal? The thought thrilled and terrified her at the same time. She cautiously reached her hand out to touch the object. A branch! It was just a large branch, a damn tree branch floating in the water. As she regained her composure and maneuvered around the object, Chloe wondered about Cal. She knew he was in the water, but where? Was he floating downstream like that branch? Had his body gotten entangled in other tree branches or debris?

Chloe was now a few strokes from the water's edge. She knew she must force herself to stop thinking about Cal and concentrate on her plan: find their boat, make it to the mainland, and send back help. There was absolutely no time to think about anything else. She had to stay focused or else Wakefield would win because she and everyone else on the island would be dead. He'd kill them all and Chloe knew she couldn't let that happen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Chloe remained at the water's edge for a few moments, peering through the darkness, trying to get her bearings. The bridge was on her left and the Candlewick was somewhere behind her. So once she got out of the water if she kept going straight she should end up on the other side of the island where the boat was docked.

By now her eyes had adjusted to the dark and while visibility wasn't perfect, she should be able to see well enough. At least she hoped so.

Chloe pulled herself up out of the water. She was soaking wet from head to foot. The water in her hair made her head feel twice as heavy. Her clothes clung to her body and along with her soggy shoes made a squishy sound as she walked. Chloe knew she needed to be quiet but the squish-squish as she moved was so loud that she might as well be shooting off a cannon with each step she took.

Chloe stopped moving to listen. She thought she had heard something but couldn't be sure. She listened a moment longer but didn't hear anything. She started walking again while trying to be very quite. She wanted to see her remaining friends but she had to admit that she wanted to see the boat even more. Besides, her getting to the boat might be the only chance any of them had of surviving. Wakefield was just one man. He couldn't be everywhere. Since he thought she was dead he was off stalking someone else. The thought made Chloe shiver. He was no doubt killing locals that she didn't know about but eventually it would be Abby and Jimmy and Trish and the others. Chloe hurried on, understanding that their only hope lay with her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

As she methodically made her way through the forest, the hairs on Chloe's neck prickled, causing her to shiver again. She wanted to chalk it up to being wet but something told her it was more than that. She fought the urge to start running because she knew the noise would undoubtedly draw attention to her. Besides, she could barely see and she didn't want to run into a tree or trip and hurt herself. The best thing to do was to move along as steadily and as quietly as possible.

The trap caught her totally unawares! Chloe screamed when the rope enclosed around her ankle and the contraption snatched her high up off the ground and swung her back and forth like a side of beef in a warehouse. She only screamed once, then stopped. But once would surely be enough to alert Wakefield to her whereabouts. Her voice sounded strange and forlorn as it echoed through the forest.

Chloe attempted to raise her body up so she could catch hold of the rope. She even wound her free leg around the rope, hoping to get more leverage. But it was no use. Gravity was a bitch. She knew it was only a matter of time before Wakefield showed up and killed her. He would probably be angry that she had defied him by going over the bridge instead of allowing him to kill her the first time. Chloe was convinced that because of this he wouldn't just kill her quickly. He would make her suffer.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Chloe had tried to remain conscious but had passed out after an hour of swinging from her ankle. She awoke with a start when the leg she had wrapped around the rope loosened itself and dangled free. The pain in her other leg and ankle was unbearable. Chloe's heart started racing frantically. The blood pounding in her head and ears felt and sounded like drums. Her breathing was short and ragged. At times it was hard to catch her breath. She had the urge to throw up but there was nothing in her stomach. She told herself she needed to remain calm but she didn't know how long she would be able to do that.

By now Chloe was so disoriented and dizzy from hanging upside down that she was sure she would soon pass out again. She managed to raise her arm to her face so she could look at her watch but her vision was blurry and she couldn't make out the numbers. Her fingers were swollen and her engagement ring felt tight. She tried wiggling it around on the finger but instead of feeling relief, the finger began to throb. Although she had no idea what time she had come out of the water, it was getting light outside so she realized that she must have been swinging from her ankle for hours. The ankle had to be broken. Even if she could get free, she doubted she'd be able to run, much less walk.

Who would hear her if she screamed? Henry, Abby, or her other friends? Were any of them still alive to hear her, much less help her? More than likely it would be Wakefield who would hear her and Chloe didn't want him to find her any sooner than necessary.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Chloe awoke with a start then soon passed out again. A while later she came to again. At some point during the ordeal she had bent her free leg over the other one. The leg that was caught in the rope was now so numb she could hardly feel it anymore. She could tell from the heat and the sun filtering through the trees that it must be about mid-day. Chloe was nauseated and her mouth and throat were extremely parched. She felt sick to her stomach. When would this end? Why didn't the bastard just show up and kill her already? She just wanted to be put out of her misery.

Maybe she should have just let him kill her on the bridge. If she were going to die anyway, at least it would be over now and she wouldn't now be suffering and dying a slow, torturous death while hanging upside down. What if Wakefield never showed up? How long would it take for her to die? Another day? Two days? A week? With the small part of her rational mind she had left, Chloe thought she might not die naturally from just hanging there. Either she would be devoured by a wild animal or, more than likely, Wakefield would show up and kill her. He had proven that he was a hunter and a hunter always came back to check his traps.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Chloe passed in and out of consciousness the rest of the day. When she was unconscious she alternated between images of Cal smiling at her, kissing her, making love to her to being snatched in the church or trapped in the grate, to blood seeping from Cal's mouth as Wakefield plunged the sword into his quivering body or to Maggie hanging from her neck outside the boathouse.

When Chloe was conscious she was barely lucid. Nevertheless, she used whatever might she had left to wish for death, although she didn't want to die. But with Cal gone, she really didn't want to go on without him. Her family would be of little comfort to her because even if she survived, she would never be able to forget the horrific nightmare of the this awful time spent on Harper's Island. There was no way that she would ever be able to erase the awful memories from her mind.

Chloe thought she heard something and opened her eyes. Everything was extremely blurry. A small furry animal was sniffing around on the ground below her. The animal was so small and she was high enough off the ground that it couldn't reach her. What was it? It looked like a white dog but it was so skinny. Although her sight was blurry, Chloe was almost certain she had seen the animal before. She and the animal heard something at the same time and the animal scurried away. What was the sound? Someone walking? Chloe wanted to turn to the direction the noise was coming from but she had no strength to do so. Her injured leg wouldn't have allowed her to do that anyway, even if she had the nerve. But what if it was Cal? Cal might still be alive. Right? Or it could be one of her friends? There was a possibility, wasn't there? She forced herself to conjure one of these possibilities right before she lost consciousness again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9  
**  
When Chloe awoke she was extremely disoriented. Her head was spinning, she was feverish and she couldn't see anything. She tried hard to think, to remember, but she was so tired, weak, and dehydrated she could hardly form a coherent thought. But she did know something was different! She faintly recalled hoping Cal or her friends, but especially Cal, was somewhere nearby. She forced herself to concentrate. She then realized her eyes were covered and she wasn't hanging now but was instead lying on a bed. How did this all happen and when? She tried lifting her hands to her face in order to uncover her eyes, but she couldn't move her arms! At first Chloe thought she was paralyzed but then she realized her wrists and legs were restrained! She was strapped to the bed! Who would do this? The obvious answer was so frightening that Chloe didn't want to consider it, even for a second. Why would he do it anyway? He apparently killed everyone who crossed his path, so why not her? But he hadn't killed her and he had had more than one opportunity.

Chloe knew she was dying, her body rapidly absorbing any remaining moisture it had left. She hadn't eaten or drank anything in days. She was so weak. Her ankle throbbed relentlessly and her back was sore and as stiff as a board. She moved her tongue, which felt twice its normal size. There was hardly any moisture on her tongue to wet her dry, cracked lips. Maybe that was his plan: to not kill her but to let her die.

Chloe panicked when she heard movement! Whoever it was, was coming near her! Just then she felt a trickle of water hit her lips and almost immediately get absorbed. She tried to open her mouth for more but there was no more. Whoever it was moved away and she could hear a door open and close. It had to be Wakefield! There was no other plausible explanation, unless there was another sadistic bastard on the island. She reluctantly resigned herself to the likelihood that Cal was dead and probably all of her friends also.

Chloe listened hard for a noise, any sound to tell her where she was but there was nothing. She eventually lost consciousness but later awoke with a start! She felt pressure on her leg and ankle, a kneading that felt good. And then it stopped and the throbbing continued. She heard whoever it was that had touched her move away then come back. A few more trickles of water on her lips and then in her mouth. The taste and feel of the water on her lips, in her mouth, her throat, was so good, so refreshing, and so needed that she almost gagged. The person moved away and Chloe tried to call out but could only manage a hoarse, strangled whisper. She then heard a door open and close, just like before.

It couldn't be Wakefield, Chloe reasoned, because if it was, wouldn't he just kill her instead of trying to make her feel better? But if the goal was to make her feel better, then why the blindfold and the restraints and just the few drops of water? Why hadn't he killed her when he snatched her from the church? Why did he put her in the storm drain as if for safe-keeping? Was it to draw Cal to her so he could be killed? The thought made her feel sad and guilty. She wanted to cry but couldn't. She had no tears and her eyes burned from dryness and the cloth covering them. Why hadn't Wakefield killed her while she was hanging upside down? Why bother to take her down and bring her to this place, where ever this place was?

Such hard questions with no plausible answers left Chloe even more drained and disoriented. It made absolutely no sense for Wakefield to be the one who brought her here. This person was trying to help her, however misguided his methods were. Chloe decided then and there that since whoever it was had not hurt her but was trying to help her, that she would just let whatever was going to happen, happen.

Just then, an amazing thought occurred to her. Maybe she was in the clinic! Perhaps it was a doctor who was caring for her. That would make sense. A doctor wouldn't give a patient too much water at one time for fear of her choking on it. A doctor would massage or manipulate an injured limb to help it to heal. A doctor would restrain a patient to keep him or her from falling from a bed and being injured further. A doctor would cover a patient's eyes to keep out harmful light! Cal was a doctor! Cal would know all of these things.

The excitement was more than Chloe could stand and she started hyperventilating. The lack of liquids and nutrients over the last few days coupled with the constant anxiety caused her to continue to pass in and out of consciousness. Chloe smiled weakly, causing her dry, cracked lips to ache and bleed but that didn't matter because Cal was here and he would save her. He wouldn't care that her lips were cracked. He would kiss them anyway. Cal was the one person who loved her unconditionally.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10  
**  
Chloe came to when she felt her jeans being removed and then her underwear. She talked herself into remaining calm because it had to be Cal, didn't it? While she was thinking this, she was pulled upright and he roughly removed her jacket, shirt and bra. Only her eyes remained covered. She was now sitting completely naked on a strange bed in full view of anyone and she couldn't see a thing.

"Cal," she said hoarsely raising her hands so she could uncover her eyes. But whoever it was pulled her hands behind her back and Chloe heard the distinct sound of handcuffs! Handcuffs? Who used handcuffs? The sheriff? His deputies? Wasn't the sheriff dead? She couldn't remember.

The person now helped her up from the bed but she was too weak and couldn't stand on her injured ankle. She was then picked up and carried across the room. This guy was big, so Chloe knew it definitely wasn't Cal. But that didn't mean that Cal hadn't been there earlier or that he wouldn't return to her later.

This person took her to what Chloe assumed was the bathroom and placed her in a tub of warm, soapy water. She braced herself for the drowning that was sure to come. But that didn't happen and she heard him leave the room. She could have used her knee to work the blindfold up a bit so she could see but she didn't. Whoever it was wanted her eyes covered but he hadn't hurt her. She didn't want to do anything to make him angry. Chloe remembered her pledge that since he hadn't hurt her, she would let whatever was going to happen, happen.

She stretched her legs out so they would be submerged under the warm water. That felt good. The warm water soothed her tense muscles and sore ankle. She wanted to lie back but with her hands handcuffed behind her back she was afraid to do so. She might indeed slip underneath the water and since she was so weak, she might not be able to save herself.

Just then he returned and stood by, watching her, which freaked her out a bit.

She jumped when he moved towards her and she heard him lowering himself to his knees. _"This is it,"_ Chloe thought. "_This is when I will die."  
_  
He dipped a container in the water and poured warm water over her back, then her shoulders. He repeated the cycle a few times before raising her from the water and wrapping a towel around her. He lifted her from the tub and carried her, dripping wet, to the other room and sat her in a chair. She could smell something cooking and her mouth watered. The floor was rough to her feet. She tried to remember the condition of the floor in the clinic but couldn't recall it.

She heard him come back beside her and place something on the table. He pulled up a chair beside her and sat down.

Chloe fought the urge to speak, although she wanted to so badly. He wasn't talking and probably didn't want her talking either.

He then spoon fed her some soup and hot tea. The first few swallows hurt her throat but she managed to eat and drink all that he offered. He stood up and moved away from her and she could hear him moving about the room. He returned to her side, picked her up, and carried her back to the bed. Chloe could tell that the sheets had been changed. He then dried her with a towel, uncuffed her hands, and pressed her back on the bed. He covered her with a sheet and re-fastened the restraints on her arms and ankles.

Chloe could hear him clattering about the room, then the water being released from the tub. He kept walking around but she couldn't tell what he was doing. She hoped she hadn't made him angry so that he was now looking for something with which to kill her.

No, she had to remember that this wasn't Wakefield, who would have killed her already. This was someone who cared about her and was taking care of her. This person was protecting her. She had to keep in mind that she was safe here.

Nevertheless, his pacing back and forth on the creaky floorboards sent Chloe's nerves spinning. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just relax? She was relieved when she finally heard him move towards where she knew the door was. She breathed a sigh of relief when he opened the door and closed it behind him.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Now that she had had something to eat and drink, Chloe felt a little more coherent but her thoughts were racing in a million different directions. As she lay there with her eyes covered and her body strapped to the bed, she tried hard to remain calm and not give in to the claustrophobia she was feeling. The fact that she had no idea where she was or how long she had been here was unnerving. Chloe knew she needed to concentrate on the good, but doing so was hard. She was still weak and her head and ankle continued to ache. She wished she had a cold beer. Immediately she regretted the thought. How could she be thinking about something so trivial as beer when so many people she cared about had been killed? Hell, she might even be killed.

It suddenly occurred to Chloe that Wakefield just might show up at any time, even right now while she was strapped down. What about the person taking care of her? Wakefield could kill him too! She forced herself not to think about that. She needed to put her mind someplace else.

Although she told herself she wouldn't, Chloe couldn't help but to think about Cal. She wished she hadn't been such a flirt with other men, thereby causing Cal such anxiety. But that was who she was, a flirt. She had always enjoyed flaunting her sexuality. She couldn't help it. She definitely shouldn't have teased Cal like she had when they first got to the island thus causing him to lose the ring. She smiled as she remembered their antics when trying to get it back. Those were fun times and she must have made him happy. He had asked her to marry him and he wouldn't have done this if she hadn't made him happy. Now it was her fault that he was dead. Yes, dead. He had to be. If she hadn't been Trish's friend, they never would have come for the wedding and Cal would still be alive. But he wasn't and she was and she had to accept that. She had to stop thinking that he was going to eventually save her because he had been killed on that bridge by John Wakefield. She didn't know if any of her other friends were alive or for how long. What she did know was that she was alive and she wanted to stay that way.

When she heard someone approaching hours later, Chloe was not afraid. She could tell by the heavy footsteps that it was the person taking care of her. He opened the door and closed it behind him. It sounded like he put paper bags on the table. He came over and loosened the straps and carried her to the bathroom. He sat her on the toilet but he didn't leave while she used it. When she was done he picked her up and carried her back to the bed and strapped her to it.

Chloe heard the sounds of him using pots and pans and as she waited for him to come get her and feed her, she wondered why he kept her strapped to the bed and wouldn't uncover her eyes. She recalled her vision being blurry when she was hanging upside down but surely that was to be expected. There was no need for her eyes to still be covered. She wanted to tell him this but somehow knew she wouldn't.

Chloe heard him slide out a chair and sit down and then utensils scrapping across a plate. He was eating but hadn't come to get her! Maybe he would feed her later. She would just be patient. He had fed her earlier and would certainly do so once he was done. But he didn't. When he was done, he slid the chair back, got up and put away the food. Her stomach growled. How could he be so cruel when he had been so nice to her earlier?

He was now moving about the room, the floorboards creaking with practically every step he took. She heard the sound of bedsprings as he sat down, kicked off his boots and got into bed. So there was another bed besides the one she was on. That was good. Pretty soon she had drifted off to sleep.

When Chloe awakened she didn't know how long she had been asleep. The sound of water running into the tub coming from the direction of the bathroom let her know that's where he was. Perhaps it was morning and this would be the day he let her get up and stay up.

The heavy footsteps came near her. He unfastened the straps and helped her get up but wouldn't let her remove the blindfold. He put his finger to her lips as if to say: "Don't speak." He once again took her to the bathroom so she could use it and then put her in the tub. He stayed with her and washed her body with a wash cloth. Chloe couldn't help but think how creepy this all was but she forced herself to relax. After all, he wasn't hurting her, just creeping her out. He then wrapped her in a large towel and carried her to a chair, just like before. He then spoon fed her oatmeal with no sugar. She hated oatmeal but it tasted so good. Again, she fought the urge to speak, to rip off the blindfold, to do anything but sit there like a child being fed by an adult.

He took her back to the bed, covered her, and re-fastened the straps. "_How long would this go on?"_ she wondered.

"Don't leave me," she dared whisper.

He put his finger to her lips again indicating that she should not speak but this time pressed down even harder. He left then and was gone for what felt like hours. Chloe lay on the bed, strapped in like a mummy, and listened for every sound. The chirping of the birds outside was pleasant and she concentrated on that until she fell into a deep slumber.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12  
**  
Chloe moaned softly in her sleep. The hands rubbing their way up her legs were large and rough, although not unpleasant. She roused herself awake. Cal's hands were soft and smooth. These were not Cal's hands but Chloe was not surprised because somewhere back in the far recesses of her mind she knew Cal would have made himself known to her and certainly would have uncovered her eyes by now.

Chloe didn't move as the hands had now traveled up to her stomach and then to each side of her waist. The long, strong fingers massaged her back and the thumbs kneaded her ribcage. The thumbs then brushed her nipples, which hardened to the touch. He then bent down and kissed her on the lips. It was only when he got even closer and pushed his tongue between her lips and into her mouth, that Chloe could feel the whiskers and she knew for certain who it was! She considered biting down on his tongue as hard as she could but she didn't. Instead she accepted his tongue into her mouth. He cupped her face with his large hands as his tongue explored freely the recesses of her mouth. Unsure of what to do now, she returned his kisses and was amazed that she wasn't as repulsed as she knew she should have been. What the hell was wrong with her?

He slid his tongue from her mouth very slowly and deliberately, the sensation sending a shiver down her spine.

He chuckled, obviously pleased. "I picked you outta all them other bitches. How's that make you feel?"

"I'm glad," she answered, hoping that was what he wanted to hear.

He chuckled again then kissed her face and cheeks before kissing her hard on the mouth. As he started to draw away, Chloe raised her face towards him and he brushed his lips against hers again. He then drew back from her but she knew he was watching her. She could almost feel his greedy eyes roaming the length of her body. Would he release her now? What was he thinking? A horrible thought washed over Chloe: Wakefield just might be done with her and was now debating with himself just how he wanted to kill her!

She was startled when he pulled the blindfold from her face.

Chloe blinked repeatedly, trying to get her eyes to focus. "Please let me get up. I promise not to run away."

He only laughed as he loosened the straps on her arms. "I'm not worried about that," he said as he loosened the straps on her ankles. "Go ahead, run, but just know next time I won't be so forgiving. Defy me once, shame on me. Defy me twice . . . Go ahead," he said, helping her to sit up and then motioning for her to make a run for the door. "Defy me twice and see what happens."

Chloe didn't move from the bed but allowed her eyes to wander around the room. He stood by and watched her reaction as her eyes landed on the long blade, the same blade that he had used on Cal. It was anchored above the front door and had streaks of dried blood on it. He hadn't even bothered to clean it. She didn't know what to do or say so she averted her eyes and quickly looked down at her lap. She had forgotten she was naked and grabbed the sheet to cover herself. He snatched the sheet away from her and tossed it aside.

"I'll decide when you cover up and right now I want you like that." He walked over to the door and retrieved the blade. Chloe gasped as he turned to face her. "I'll be back," he said, pointing the blade at her. You be right there when I get back. Or else." He left and she could hear his heavy footsteps plodding away.

Chloe saw her clothes hanging on the back of a chair right by the foot of the bed. Her shoes were on the floor nearby. Should she dare try it? What if he was waiting for her outside? He'd kill her for sure.

He had taken the blade, which could mean one of two things: he was going to kill someone -- meaning for now at least, the two of them weren't the only ones left on the island, or he was waiting outside for her to defy him.

When Wakefield returned a few hours later, Chloe was still sitting on the edge of the bed. Just as he had ordered, she hadn't moved. Instead of putting the blade back where it was before, he rested it upright beside the door.

Chloe found it hard to not look at the blade. He noticed her staring at it and put it above the door. It was wet with blood. Chloe was certain the blood on it was dry when he left. He had killed someone else!

_"What now,"_ she thought. _"What the hell is going to happen now?"_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"You can put some clothes on now," he said.

Chloe slid from the bed and reached for her clothes.

"Not those," he told her as he pulled a pretty blue strapless dress from a bag on the table and tossed it to her.

Chloe couldn't help but wonder who it belonged to. Her guess was the person wouldn't be needing it anymore. She reluctantly slipped the dress on and wished he'd give her some underwear but he didn't.

He looked at her with what she thought was appreciation as he approached. "There are some rules you need to follow. You're not to go outside, or speak unless you ask for permission or I ask you a question and under no circumstances do you ask me any questions. You got that?"

"Yes," she said softly.

"Bottom line here: don't make me angry."

Although her leg and ankle still ached, nothing was broken. He allowed her to limp about the rooms but, to her dismay, wouldn't even take her outside for a few minutes. She had a thousand questions to ask but because she feared the answers she was glad she couldn't ask them. In her effort to think only on the positive she put the questions out of her mind and concentrated on not pissing him off.

They were in a cabin that she assumed was somewhere on the island. He had all manner of weapons in a locked case: guns, knives, even a bow and arrows. He had probably pilfered the nice furnishings from the homes of the people he killed. The thought troubled her, so she put it out of her mind. She was determined to keep all unpleasant thoughts out of her head. The cabin was comfortable and he was being nice to her. How he treated her was all that she would allow to matter to her.

Whenever Wakefield was in the cabin, Chloe did her best to stay out of his way. She usually just sat in a chair or on the bed. At first, he didn't require her to do anything. He cooked all of their meals and did all of the cleaning. "_He would make a great husband,"_ she thought, as she smiled at him while he served her up a plate piled high with waffles and sausages, "_if not for the fact he was a murdering psychopath. Or was it a sociopath?"_

He didn't strap her down anymore, even when he left the cabin. She feared something somewhere in the cabin might be booby trapped to either kill her or to somehow alert him to what she was doing. So whenever he left the cabin, she sat on the bed and waited for him to return. She wouldn't allow herself to think about taking one of the weapons. He was too smart to not have considered that she might do just that. He was probably trying to trick her but she wouldn't let him.

The first time he took her, she didn't resist. He made her undress and get into his bed. Just as he entered her, he pulled the engagement ring off her finger and threw it across the room. He stared into her face, waiting for a reaction but she didn't react. The glimmer in his eyes told her he was pleased. She opened her legs wider and arched her hips to meet his thrusts. The bed groaned under their weight as he turned her this way and that way in order to gain whatever access he desired to her body. The bedsprings made obscene sounds as he pressed and pounded into her, unleashing his seed wherever he wanted.

He stayed with her for the next two days. She hardly slept as he made her do things with him, to him, that she had not even done with Cal. No, she would not think about Cal, who was good and decent. The good Chloe was the Chloe who was with Cal. The good Chloe had gone over the edge of the bridge right after Cal had been thrown into the water. What came up out of the water was the bad Chloe. Her. She was now the bad Chloe and as such had no right to think about Cal.

Immediately after dinner one evening, Wakefield pushed her down on her knees before him and guided her head to where he wanted it. "You're mine now," he said, almost as if he had read her mind. "You better act like you want this as much as I do or guess what."

She didn't answer verbally but responded by doing to him what she knew by now he liked.

He would grab hold of her whenever the mood struck him. However, just as she had to ask for permission to speak, she had to ask for permission to touch him. Being the free spirit that she was, Chloe found this behavior stifling, but when she considered the consequences of not obeying, she willed herself to remember.

Chloe wondered if he ever slept. She now slept in the same bed as him and whenever she opened her eyes, he was awake. When they were not in bed and he was in the cabin, he often sat in his rocking chair, just rocking, glaring off into space, and thinking. Or watching her if she was in his line of vision, so she would often sit on the bed behind him and watch him. He would get agitated, grab hold of her, roughly have his way with her and then leave. She wondered if he was testing her to see if she would try to run away. Whenever he returned, he would be much calmer but would ravish her just the same. He would then present her with gifts he had brought back for her: clothes, jewelry, even bubble bath. Chloe would not allow herself to consider the possibility that he had killed the original owner of the items. She wouldn't do it. She couldn't do it. And of course she could not ask him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

One evening after they had had dinner, Wakefield sat in his big rocking chair and pulled her onto his lap. Chloe curled her long legs up and let him cocoon her in his massive embrace. She rested her head on his chest as he slowly rocked to and fro.

The rain coming down sounded so peaceful and soothing. Chloe allowed herself to relax, and although she knew she should have asked for permission first, she nuzzled her face under his chin. She liked the feel of his whiskers on her skin. Besides, it might please him.

She was right because it wasn't long before he tilted her face towards him and started kissing her. She could feel the familiar stirring in his jeans and she closed her eyes as his tongue found its way into her mouth and roamed freely about. She was so lost in the moment that she didn't realize he was watching her, even as he kissed her. He then pulled back.

"Open your eyes," he demanded.

She didn't open her eyes but instead kept trying to find his mouth.

"I said open your eyes, damn it!"

Chloe opened her eyes, immediately realizing she had done something wrong. But what? She couldn't ask him. She hoped he wasn't angry that she had touched him without asking for permission.

"What were you thinking about?" he asked, his steely gaze boring into her very being.

"You, I was thinking about you."

"Liar!" he spat at her as he stood up and dumped her onto the floor.

Chloe quickly scooted out of the way of his heavy boots.

He went into the bathroom and slammed the door.

She could hear him urinating and then flushing. What would he do when he came out? Should she get up so he wouldn't be tempted to kick her? No, he might be even angrier if she got up without him telling her to.

He came out of the bathroom and motioned for her to come and use it. She got up and went in. She knew better than to close the door. When she came out of the bathroom he had put on his denim jacket and had the blade in his hands, admiring it while flaking off dried blood with his fingernail.

"Get on the bed," he said.

Chloe slowly backed her way to the bed, not taking her eyes from the blade. She climbed backwards onto the bed and moved to the wall and drew her knees up to her chin, trying to make herself as small as possible.

He looked at her now with what Chloe thought was disgust. When he came closer, the bloody sword dangling in his hand, she visibly panicked.

"Stay there til I get back," he ordered. "Get off the bed before I get back and I'll cut your legs off from here." He lightly rubbed the tip of the sword across her knees.

Chloe didn't doubt him for a minute. She watched him leave, knowing that if there was another soul besides the two of them left on the island, that person didn't have long to live.

***

It had long since stopped raining and Chloe was still in the same position on the bed. She had made him angry and she hadn't meant to. She thought she was pleasing him by doing what he wanted. If she pleased him, then he wouldn't leave the cabin, and if he didn't leave the cabin, he wouldn't be out there killing someone else. She was responsible for whoever died today.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15  
**  
When Wakefield returned some hours later, Chloe was of course still on the bed but she was laying down now. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep when he walked over. She did not want to see the blade and know that someone else was dead.

He poked her in the chest and she opened her eyes, feigning sleep. She jumped back when she realized that he had poked her with the blade. She noticed that there was no blood on it at all, not even the dried blood that had been on it when he left earlier.

"Careful now," he chuckled. "Did you miss me?" He lightly ran the blade up and down her long legs.

"Yes," she said. And she had.

He walked over and put the blade in its usual place above the door. He came back to the bed, removed his clothes, climbed in beside her, and pulled her to him. "I missed you, too. Permission to touch granted."

***

The next morning after they had showered and dressed, she said: "Permission to make you coffee." She thought she should ask because she had never done it for him before. He did all the cooking while she sat and watched.

He smiled and Chloe went to the counter and started to make the coffee.

He followed her and leaned against the counter. "I can't figure you out."

She didn't understand what he meant but since she wasn't allowed to ask him any questions she just looked at him quizzically.

"Here you are, making my coffee just like we're a normal couple."

_I wouldn't exactly call asking your permission to make you coffee normal,_ she thought, although of course she could not say this. "I know you like coffee so I want to make it for you."

"Why?"

"I don't understand your question."

"Don't you?"

Chloe just looked at him, trying hard not to appear frustrated but was unsure of what he wanted her to say. Since she couldn't ask him what the hell he was talking about, she stayed quiet.

"You don't want to be making my coffee but you do it. Hell, you don't even want to be here, but you act like you do and you do a very good job of acting."

"I want to be what you want me to be."

"Why? Because you want to live? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you anyway?"

"Yes," she admitted. "When you get tired of me, that's exactly what you'll do."

A look crossed his face that Chloe couldn't quite interpret. It resembled surprise, but not really. He moved towards her and she backed away.

"Don't move away from me!"

She was against the wall so there was no place for her to go anyway. She thought he might hit her or choke her, but he didn't. He just glared at her with such viciousness that she started to tremble. She hadn't done that since the beginning.

"Don't ever move away from me again! You understand?"

"Yes."

He left her then and went outside and slammed the door behind him.

**A/N:** Please let me know what you think about the pairing of Chloe with Wakefield.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The door banged loudly and Chloe shrank further against the wall. Right now she was a nervous mess because one minute Wakefield seemed to be pleased with her and the next minute he was angry with her. How could she possibly know how to behave when he showed how much pleasure he got out of her body and then he just as quickly acted as if he wanted to slice her up with the blade?

Chloe then realized he hadn't taken the blade with him. Why? He always took it with him when he left the cabin. Something was wrong here. He hadn't taken the blade with him, nor had he ordered her to get on the bed. Why? Her instincts told her to make a dash for the bed, her mind told her to grab the blade or to at least look for a knife. However, her feet refused to move. She was scared stiff but she knew she needed to do something.

_"Defy me twice and see what happens."  
_  
Chloe darted towards the bed and hoped he didn't come back inside before she made it there. Once she was safely on the bed she grabbed the pillow and hugged it to her. It smelled like him . . . And her. She tossed it away from her.

_"What a coward I am,"_ she thought. With all the fighting spirit she possessed, why had she given in to him so easily? Why hadn't she hid a knife in the bed and plunged it into his back as he was plunging into her? She knew why: he was too strong. There was no way she would be able to use the blade or a knife on him. He would overpower her in no time and he would kill her. Besides, she thought he knew what she did, even when he wasn't there or that the cabin was somehow booby trapped.

Even as she rationalized her failure to act, Chloe knew there was another reason: she simply didn't want to hurt him, much less kill him. She most definitely believed in an eye for an eye and she would be justified in killing him – what with all the people he had killed -- who would blame her? She'd no doubt be considered a hero and would probably be given the key to the city. But Chloe couldn't do it -- not that he didn't deserve it -- he did, but she just didn't want to.

She pulled the pillow to her again and breathed in the scent of him before lying down and burying her face in the pillow. Because she did not want him to be angry with her, Chloe vowed that when he returned she would do everything she could to please him. She would do to him all the things she knew he liked. Even as she made these plans, her conscience screamed at her. But damn, she was trying to stay alive! Nevertheless, Chloe knew it was deeper than that. Yes, she was trying to keep him from killing her by willingly having sex with him. She thought on this for a moment. Yes, that was it! She was willing. She wanted to. That's what should bother her but it didn't. Why? He had slaughtered Cal right before her eyes. He had viciously murdered at least a dozen people by now or probably more, and yet she was not repulsed by him and she should be.

Could Wakefield be considered a serial killer? Chloe tried to remember what she could about serial killers. They were usually white, in their twenties or thirties, had low self esteem, and were usually sexually dysfunctional. Those who were highly intelligent were methodical and had well thought out plans. The less intelligent ones were spree killers and were soon caught. They usually killed strangers. Wakefield was at least in his forties. She wasn't sure about his self esteem. He seemed very confident but he could be masking low self esteem behind his savagery. Most of the people she knew he had murdered were more accomplished that he was. He enjoyed sex but that didn't mean he wasn't sexually dysfunctional. The killings probably increased his sex drive. The thought made her shiver.

However, the other traits did apply: he was white, intelligent, methodical, and his plans were well thought out. He was not a spree killer. John Wakefield was most definitely a serial killer. And here she was, dainty Chloe Carter from Seattle who only previously worried about if her shoes and purse matched, trying to tame him with her feminine charms. While she may have been able to do that with any other man she tried it with, it wasn't going to work for long with Wakefield. Yes, she definitely thought he would kill her when he was done with her. She had to make sure he wasn't done with her anytime soon.

Even though she didn't want it to, Chloe's mind settled on Cal. She hadn't thought much about him lately because each time she had she got angry. Cal hadn't been brave, even though he had tried to be. He certainly hadn't been a hero. It was his fault that they remained on the island. There had been two opportunities to leave: once, at the very beginning, when she was sitting in the cart urging him to get in so they could leave with the locals and once when she was already on the boat with Sully and Beth. Both times Cal had talked her out of leaving, so him trying to protect her on the bridge and ultimately dying hadn't been such a noble gesture after all. It was what he should have done. He owed her something.

Chloe didn't want to think about Cal anymore. Now, she'd much rather concentrate her considerable energies on John Wakefield as she lay in his bed, hugging his pillow, and waiting for him to return so she could show him how much she had missed him.


	17. Chapter 17

_**Please note that chapter 16 replaces a previous A/N and is new also!**_

**Chapter 17  
**  
Still, as she waited for Wakefield to return, Chloe tried hard not to think about how she used to be and how she was now. But again, she couldn't help it. While she waited there was nothing for her to do but think. And the waiting! She had never waited around for anyone. Never! Now, that's all she did. Well, she had no choice, really. No, she would not allow herself to wallow in self pity. She was alive and that's what mattered. She would focus on that, rather than allowing herself to ponder what he probably did each time he left the cabin and took the blade. The fact that he hadn't taken it this time really didn't mean anything. She knew he probably didn't need it kill someone. No, she would not think about that because doing so would serve no useful purpose.

Chloe had to admit to herself that she enjoyed having sex with him. She had stopped feeling guilty about this when she realized she didn't need to feel guilty. Besides, allowing herself to enjoy it made it easier to be here with him after all that had happened . . . After all he had done. Although he'd never admit it, Chloe suspected he enjoyed being with her too. That's probably why she wasn't dead yet. It was always clear to her that ever since he caught her in his trap, he was the one in control. However, in bed, when he was reaching his climax, he was at her mercy and she liked that.

The fact that he had picked her out of all of her female friends, pleased her. She was vain, just like her friends. They were all beautiful, especially Trish and Lucy. Lucy? Did she leave early? Chloe thought that's what Trish had said, although at the time she said it, Trish was surprised and hadn't been sure.

Chloe vaguely recalled the small white animal that had been sniffing around underneath her while she was hanging by her ankle. It could have been Gigi. If Gigi was still on the island then so was Lucy. When was the last time anyone had seen Lucy? It had been a while. She had to have left. But then why was Gigi still here? Chloe was certain now that it had been Gigi she had seen. What did that mean, though? Did Wakefield have Lucy stashed in another cabin? Was that where he was now, with Lucy? Was that where he went each time he left her? Chloe felt her blood beginning to boil. If that was true then he had lied to her about her being the one he had picked. He was a fucking murderer after all. How much of a reach was it for him to be a liar too? Still, she wanted to know, although she knew she could not ask him.

Just then he opened the door and came into the cabin, startling her. He immediately started on dinner and did not acknowledge her until it was time to eat. Chloe thought the best thing to do was to stay out of his way. She could not tell what mood he was in.

For dinner he made steak, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli. He put the food on their plates and sat down at the table with her. He started eating but she just poked at the food.

"You one of them vegetarians? No wonder you so skinny. Eat up and put some meat on those bones. A man likes to have something to grab ahold of. Know what I mean?"

Chloe started to eat but she didn't have much of an appetite.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Careful not to ask a question, she said: "I've been wondering why you said you picked me."

He looked at her as he contemplated her question. "Why I _said_ it?"

Chloe knew immediately she shouldn't have phrased it that way.

"Is that your way of calling me a liar?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you're gonna be sorry when I get through with you!"

In one swift motion he jumped up from his chair, grabbed her by the hair and flung her across the room.

"Please," she begged as he approached and grabbed her by the arm. She hung from his hands like a ragdoll.

"Stand up, damn it!"

Chloe planted her feet on the floor and drew herself up to her full height.

"That's it," he said through gritted teeth. He grabbed her by the collar. "You see, I just think if a person has the nerve to imply a man is lying, then that person should face him and tell him why he thinks that. Chloe Carter, this is your life."

Him using her full name surprised her. She hadn't been aware he knew it.

"I'm waiting," he said, still holding her by the scruff of her collar. "I don't like to be kept waiting, especially by an ungrateful bitch like you."

Chloe didn't know what else to do or say other than to come clean with her suspicion.

"I remembered something I saw in the forest, that's all. It's not important. Permission to touch." Perhaps she could distract him with sex.

He released her collar and she stumbled backwards a bit. Chloe was hopeful he would drop it. No such luck.

"What was it you saw?"

"I thought it was my friend's little dog but I couldn't really tell."

"It probably was," he said, and she could tell from his expression he was putting together the pieces of the puzzle. "You was thinking I been with that girl?"

"Permission to touch," she said again, desperate to get his mind off the subject.

"Answer me, damn it!"

"It's just that she always had the dog with her and she wouldn't have left the island without it--"

"It wasn't her choice. Let's just say, they got separated and that dog came out on the winning end. I'll spare you the details, unless-- "

"No!" she said, covering her ears and shaking her head, not wanting to know anything further about it. _He had killed Lucy!_

"That's right," he said, stroking her cheek, knowing what she was thinking. "And I never even touched her, so you see, there's no need for you to be jealous. I did pick you. Feel better now?"

What she felt was stupid, but what she said was: "Yeah. Permission to touch."

"Granted."

Chloe moved into his embrace and buried her face in his chest. She wrapped her arms around him, deciding then and there to just give herself over to him. He was too heartless and she was too weak, physically and mentally. The only way she could win was to stay alive.

**A/N:** I'd appreciate any feedback you have. This story has gone in a direction I did not expect!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18  
**  
Her plan to woo him with her feminine charms had worked, at least for the time being, so that they were now sprawled on the bed resting up for round three. Music might soothe the common beast, but Chloe believed that she, Chloe Carter, soothed John Wakefield. At least for the time being.

As she rested her head on his bare chest, one of his large hands tangled itself in her hair and the other slowly trailed up and down her spine. It was not lost on Chloe that as easily as he caressed her, he could just as easily use those hands to choke the life out of her.

As she was thinking this he pushed her shoulder. She knew what he wanted her to do so she slid down and got to work. Her friends used to say girls who did this were whores. Although Chloe had always considered herself to be a free spirit where sex was concerned, this was never something she enjoyed doing. However, right now she had no choice because the alternative to not complying, well, she wouldn't think about that.

Could she be called a whore now, she wondered, as she used the sheet to wipe his fluids from her lips. He was laying on his back, watching her with a satisfied grin on his face, so she made sure to do it in the seductive way that he liked. He reached for her and pulled her on top of him before rolling her over so that he was on top. He was heavy but she liked that. She giggled as he tickled her neck with his whiskers. His large hands traveled the length of her body and his mouth and lips followed the trail soon afterwards. While he was working his magic down below on her, she ran her hands through his hair. He had nice hair. Her eyes rolled back when his tongue probed a particularly sensitive area. Soon, the bedsprings were making those obscene sounds again as he repeatedly pressed himself into her, grunting loudly with each movement. Each time before Chloe had been silent but now she made noises of her own as she wrapped her legs around him and raked her nails up and down his spine. Her actions spurred him on and he became even louder and more forceful. This felt so good to her and Chloe didn't want it to end. She admitted to herself, then and there, that she loved him, although she had already suspected it. It wasn't just about the sex, which was fantastic, but the fact that she had made an impression on him so that he cared about her. His caring wasn't just about the sex either, although it was extremely important to him. There was something else about her that attracted him. If he did indeed kill her in the end, it wouldn't be for the same reason he had killed the others -- whatever that was.

They both reached their climax at the same time and screamed out in a similar fashion. She held onto him tightly as she tried loudly to catch her breath. He laughed in her ear as he continued pumping away.

When he finally slid his damp body off of hers, they were both breathing hard.

"You trying to kill me?" he panted.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh because that had been the last thing she had wanted to do. "No, but rest up because I want to do it again." She quickly remembered the circumstances: "With your permission, of course."

"I thought I never got tired. You giving me a run for my money."

Chloe thought maybe she should be embarrassed but she wasn't. At this moment she felt brazen and it felt good. It was better than being scared. "Okaaay," she said as she stuck her feet underneath the sheet and pulled it over her.

"I didn't say no," he said, throwing the sheet back towards their feet. "Just give me a minute to catch my breath so the soldiers can get into formation."

Chloe smiled. "Perhaps the soldiers need a little encouragement so they will hurry up and get their act together."

He grinned. "Perhaps."

"Permission to touch."

"Granted."

Daybreak had come and Chloe and Wakefield were still going at each other. They had been at it for hours. They'd climax, rest for a while, and start over again, each time being more intense than the last. By the time the light started filtering through the paneled curtains, they were both exhausted as they lay entwined in each others' arms. He lightly stroked the side of her face.

_"I do love him," _Chloe thought as she drifted off to sleep, her head on his chest and her tousled hair strewn across her face. Her last thought before she fell asleep was: _"He loves me, too. I know it."_

Wakefield was wide awake, as usual. If she had opened her eyes and looked at him, she would have seen him eyeing the blade anchored above the door.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19  
**  
Chloe awakened when Wakefield shifted his weight. She rubbed her eyes sleepily and watched as he got up, walked to the door and retrieved the blade. Her heart somersaulted in her chest. She was now fully awake. _What the hell?_

As he walked back to the bed he glanced from the blade to her. "I'm sure you'd like me to assure you I won't hurt you with this," he said as he put the blade crossways on the bed above her head and crawled back in beside her. "But what would be the fun in that?"

He nibbled her ear. "As you can tell I'm quite fond of that blade."

Chloe stiffened and his warm, moist breath on her neck and in her ear gave her goose bumps. She inadvertently ducked her head to the side as he tried to move his mouth in closer.

"Chloe," he whispered in her ear. "Stop moving away from me. You know I don't like that."

"That blade makes me nervous."

"I like it and I like you, so I thought: _Wouldn't it be fun to have a hold of it while I have a hold of you?_"

"I'm assuming right after is when I die."

"Now that sounded like a question, and you know questions are against the rules" he said as he kissed her neck while climbing on top of her. He was inside her and moving before she could catch her next breath. She just hoped it wouldn't be her last breath. "Put your arms up," he demanded.

Chloe reluctantly raised her arms up and he had her grip the handle of the blade while he gripped her hands. She watched his face contort and finally relax as he continued moving on top of her and gripping her hands. He buried his face in her neck and because she knew he expected her to, she wrapped her legs around his waist. He pumped away at her for what seemed like hours all the while gripping her hands as she held onto the handle of the blade. Her mind started to recall all the people he had killed or probably killed with that very same blade. Her eyes watered and she squeezed them shut as he continued to grunt and strain on top of her. He finally wore himself out and collapsed on top of her. Chloe's eyes were still closed but the tears were flowing. She wanted to stop crying but couldn't. He put the blade on the floor before sliding off of her and onto his back.

"I take it you didn't enjoy that as much as I did."

"We both know there are things that you enjoy that I don't."

He turned on his side to face her. "Oh yeah? Like what for instance?" He chuckled as he used his index finger to make a circle on her stomach. "I could have sworn you had a little freak in you."

"I have to go to the bathroom."

"Can I trust you to put my blade back without stabbing me with it?" He didn't wait for her to answer. "Oh, never mind," he said as he got up and picked up the blade.

Chloe watched as he put it back above the door before she got up and went into the bathroom. When she came out of the bathroom she glanced to make sure the blade was above the door before getting back in the bed.

He pulled her to him, wrapped his arms around her and threw his leg over hers. She couldn't move. He then rested his chin on her head. Not long afterwards he started to snore, the first time she had ever heard him do so. This was the first time she had ever known him to fall asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20  
**  
Wakefield was up and ready to leave the cabin earlier than usual. He was always up and out before the sun came up but today felt so much earlier to Chloe. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been able to sleep since he had been stuck to her like a crustacean and kept snoring in her ear. She hadn't been able to fall asleep until a few minutes before he got up.

She was now sitting at the table finishing up the fruit he had given her.

"Do I need to strap you down while I'm gone?" he asked her as he pulled on his grey, ratty looking sweater.

Chloe stopped thinking about how much she hated that sweater and wondering why he didn't just swipe another one. She looked at him with droopy lids but did not bother to hide her surprise. "I'm not going to do anything other than what I always do while you're gone."

He reached for his denim jacket, which she also hated. "Which is what exactly?"

"I stay on the bed."

"You must be bored to death."

Chloe didn't answer but instead looked away from him as she speared another slice of mango and put it in her mouth. When she was done he put the dishes in the sink and Chloe went and sat on the bed. He grabbed the blade and looked back at her.

"I'm not going to move from here," she said.

He smiled slightly and left.

Chloe put her feet on the bed and fell backwards. _How long would he be gone this time? Besides her, who was left for him to kill? Why the hell was he doing this anyway? And what was that damn psycho shit with the blade in the bed?_

Chloe considered again how she believed she loved him. _How the hell was that possible? He was a damn serial killer!_ While most men got up every day to go to work, he got up to go kill people! While most men came home to their wives, he came home to her, his what, his sex slave? And what made it worse was she was glad when he returned and it had nothing to do with the fact that if he was here with her he was not out there killing someone else. Initially it was about that but now it wasn't.

Chloe turned her head towards one of the windows. Each of the two windows were covered with heavy drapes but underneath were white paneled curtains. Each morning he would open the drapes only about an inch, but the curtains would remain closed. It was just enough to allow in a brief bit of light. She really couldn't see outside and no one on the outside could see inside, which was probably what he was more concerned about.

Chloe had not counted the sunrises or the sunsets so she had no idea how long she had been in the cabin. The only way she knew of the passage of time was because she could tell when the sun rose through the white paneled curtains in one window and set through the white paneled curtains in the other window.

Because she was so deprived of the outdoors, she would sometimes sneak a peek outside at the lush, green vegetation when he opened the door.

There was no clock or television but Wakefield did have a small radio that he kept locked in the weapons' case when he was not there. He used earphones so she was never able to hear what he was listening to. Chloe was certain it wasn't the top ten hits but probably news reports.

She fell asleep wondering what it might look like outside the cabin. She imagined it was beautiful because the rest of the island was beautiful. She had thought this even when she had been trying to avoid being one of Wakefield's victims.

Xxx

"What do you know how to cook?" he asked her later that day as they finished lunch. He had come back to the cabin earlier than normal.

"I don't know how to cook," she admitted.

He chuckled. "I see. But you do know how to do other things . . . very well."

She looked away from him, embarrassed and decided to change the subject since he seemed to be in a decent mood. "I know you told me not to go outside and I haven't and I won't, but I would love it if you would take me outside for a few minutes."

"Why?"

She was looking past him at the sun filtering through the curtains. She could tell that the trees were swaying in the breeze. "To get some fresh air, and its so beautiful outside."

"It's beautiful in here."

Chloe tore her eyes away from the window to see him looking at her and smiling. She returned the smile.

"If I take you out there, you'll just want to be out there all the time and I can't have that. For obvious reasons."

"I always do what you tell me to do. I wouldn't disobey you."

He considered this and smiled wickedly. "You have been a good girl – for the most part. If I take you out there, you can only stay for five minutes and you can't leave the porch. You got that?"

"Yes," she said breathlessly.

He opened the door and escorted her outside to the front porch. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking.

"This is so beautiful!" she said.

"Yes it is," he responded, and even though Chloe wasn't looking at him, she knew he was looking at her. He came up behind her and encircled her in his arms. She rested her head back on his chest but could not pull her eyes away from the huge trees in the distance and the blooming flowers all across the yard.

"Look!" she said eagerly, pointing to a deer that had come out of the woods. She felt him stiffen then relax when he saw the deer.

"Let's go," he said.

Although she knew it hadn't been five minutes she let him lead her back inside.

"Thank you," she told him as he closed the door.

He stuck his finger in the loop of her denim shorts and pulled her to him. "Why don't you thank me another way?" He picked her up and carried her to the bed and she continued to thank him well into the evening.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21  
**  
The next day when he returned to the cabin he was highly agitated. He paced the floor and eyed his weapons but didn't take anything out of the case.

_Something must have happened_, she thought. She wanted to say something, to find out what was going on but didn't know what to say that wasn't a question. She had sort of gotten used to not speaking, but she knew something was up that he didn't like and this made her nervous. She slid back against the wall, pulled her legs to her, and waited.

Each day and most evenings, Wakefield was constantly in and out of the cabin, so that she usually faced a waiting game. She waited to see what he would do. Because she was an impulsive type it made it hard for her to just sit and do nothing. But that's exactly what she did. She couldn't even allow her mind to wander because it would inevitably find its way to the killings committed by the man who now sat only a few feet away from her, his own mind lost in his tortured thoughts, causing his face to twist itself in rage.

Chloe preferred it when he was all over her because at least then he wasn't thinking about killing -- at least she didn't think so. She hoped not.

So she sat on the bed now, clutching the pillow, with her legs curled underneath her waiting for him to do something.

It was at times like this when he truly20frightened her and she couldn't help but recall his murderous rampage. It was at times like this when she could no longer pretend that this would somehow end well for her. He had never explained his actions to her or given her the slightest hint as to why he thought he needed to murder innocent people in cold blood. Although she would not allow her mind to replay the murders she had seen him commit, she had come to believe that for whatever reason he had an insatiable need to kill. _If that were indeed true, then what would happen to her when they were the last two standing?_

He stood up and the sudden movement caught her by surprise and she gasped. He paused and looked at her strangely. She watched as he closed the drapes and turned on the lamps. In the evenings he always put the lamps on very dim so that there was just enough light to see how to move around inside the cabin but she guessed not high enough so with the drapes pulled no one on the outside could see inside. The effect caused eerie shadows to appear on the walls, so she was relieved, like now, when he gathered her into his arms and held her in such a way that made her feel like he at least cared about her.

"You're shivering," he said as he caressed her. "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm scared," she admitted.

He chuckled then stopped. "I guess you have a right to be, but as long as you don't piss me off you'll be okay."

"Somebody comes in here while you're gone."

"Believe me, that's not going to happen." He pulled her close again. "Really, that's the last thing you have to be worried about."

Chloe tried to find comfort in those words as she buried her face in his chest, not wanting to accept that he was the first and the last thing she should be worried about.

Xxx

Something felt different in the way he was making love to her. Yes, that was it! He was actually making love to her this time and not just having sex with her. He had always seemed to rush through the motions but now he slowed down and seemed to savor each hug, each caress, each kiss. Chloe had to admit that she enjoyed it. Well, she usually enjoyed it but now it felt like a normal encounter between two consenting adults -- a normal encounter between equals, not one dominating the other.

"You know this can't go on," he said as he held her in his arms.

Chloe didn't know how to respond so she didn't but instead just clung to him, hoping he realized how much he needed her.

"I can't stay here." His face was buried in her neck, causing his voice to be muffled but Chloe heard him loud and clear.

"I don't understand," she said, scared.

He extracted his limbs from hers and moved away from her a bit. "I need to leave. It's not safe for me to stay here any longer."

Chloe's mind raced as it tried to compute what this meant. She felt frightened. "I'll go with you," she told him and she meant it. Not taking her with him meant he would kill her.

"No."

"But I've done everything you've asked! I've tried very hard to be what you wanted me to be." She had, so now she was angry.

When he turned his head to look at her Chloe turned her face away from him. She had no doubt made him angry and she didn't want to see it on his face.

"Yes, you have, that's why this is difficult for me--"

She looked at him now, challenging him. "To kill me?"

"That's a question and that's against the rules."

Chloe restrained herself from telling him to fuck his rules.

"I'm not going to kill you, Chloe. I'm sending you home."

This caught her completely by surprise. "Home?"

"Yes."

Chloe didn't need to think for very long about what this meant. How could she possibly go home now and face anyone, after she had basically sold her soul to the devil? By now he had probably killed everyone. She was the last one left so now he figured someone would come looking for him. How could she go home and explain why or how it was that she was the only one to have survived the rampage? There was no way she could ever tell anyone she had fallen in love with a serial killer, the monster she had seen murder her fiancé by ramming a blade through his body! Not to mention all the other heinous murders. There was no way she could go back. _How is it that he thought she could?_ "This is my home," she said before she realized it but it felt like the truth.

Wakefield looked at her like she was crazy and then he laughed.

"Please don't laugh at me."

He stopped laughing but she could still see he was amused.

"I'm giving you the chance to be the one who I let live. Why wouldn't you jump at it?"

"I love you," she said. "And you love me, too. I know it."

"I don't love you!" He was clearly exasperated now. "I love doing things to you but I don't love you."

His harsh words stung her but she didn't believe them.

"You don't love me either. You've just convinced yourself that you do to get you through this awful time in your life so you could survive."

"Please don't say that. It may have been true at first but it's certainly not true now. I do love you and I want to go with you."

"I'm giving you a chance to go home, to be with your family again."

"You're my family now."

"You're not making any sense and I want you to stop it. Now. Besides, you don't know what you're asking of me."

"I'm asking you to admit that you love me."

"No." He looked at her and where before she saw anger now she saw pain. "If your intention was to get out of this alive, trust me, you don't want me to love you."

She did not understand what this meant so decided to press on. "I mean something to you or I wouldn't still be alive--"

"You don't want to test me, Chloe. That wouldn't be smart. You're nothing to me, just a hole in the mattress." He got up from the bed and dragged her to the floor. "Get dressed in the clothes you had on when you came."

Chloe was numb, it was the same numbness she felt when she woke up here. As he turned his back to her to put on his own clothes, her eyes darted from the blade to the weapons in the cabinet. She then got dressed and sat down on the bed and once again found herself waiting for him to finish whatever he was doing.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22  
**  
When he was ready for them to leave he handed her a bottle of water and then took the blade from its resting place. He put her jacket over his arm and opened the door. He looked around, and then motioned for her to go outside. She hesitated, scared. Chloe realized she was afraid to go outside!

"C'mon," he said, impatient.

Still she hung back and he sighed. He put his arm around her waist and walked her outside. While she looked around nervously, he took his arm back and turned to lock the door.

As she watched him checking to make sure the door was secure, Chloe couldn't help but think: _Who the hell does he think will come in? He's killed everyone!_

Once he was satisfied that the door was locked, Wakefield grabbed her by the arm and hurried her down the steps and across the yard. Soon they were in the forest and while she could hardly see and her feet hit or scraped every stone or root in her path, he was as sure-footed an animal who lived there. _But then of course, wasn't that what he normally was, an animal, skulking around in the woods looking for prey? And if he was an animal, then what did that make her?  
_  
She tripped and when he reached out to grab her, to keep her from falling, the blade shot across in front of her, almost slicing her across the waist. Chloe gasped loudly and thought of Lucy.

"Watch where you're going," was all he said before starting up again but this time at a slower pace.

By now her eyes had adjusted to the darkness and when he realized she could keep up, he speeded up again. She noticed that his footsteps didn't make a sound while hers crunched every dried leaf and snapped every twig in her path.

_Should she break away from him now and run as fast as she could? Where the hell were they going? Was he really planning on sending her home? How? Was he going to explain anything to her? Was he bringing her all the way out here to finally kill her? If she ran,_ _where would she go? Was there anybody else left on this damn island? What would he do when he caught her? (And she was sure he would). _So many questions and the only two she could be certain that she knew the answer to was the first one and the last one, which was why she continued to let him lead her to wherever he had decided to take her._  
_  
"You really took me by surprise when you fell off that bridge the way you did," he told her.

To Chloe, that seemed like such a long time ago and although the memories of what had happened -- what he had done -- that day were too painful, she allowed herself to recall them. It was then she remembered that when she had been in the water, she had thought the look on his face might have been surprise at her falling backwards, but not really surprise.

"I was impressed," he said

_Yes, that's what the look was._ However, no way would she now say what she was now thinking: _It was either that or have you gut me with your beloved blade._ She didn't want to give him any ideas.

"Did you love him?" he asked.

_Why the hell was he bringing up Cal, a man he had murdered in cold blood?_ "Yes," she finally answered.

"If you loved him then why did you tease him so?"

Chloe looked at him.

"When you threw his clothes in the water?"

"How--" she started but stopped because it was a question.

"I was watching," he said and smiled. "When you left him fumbling around in the water for his clothes, I almost killed him then but changed my mind. I thought I'd let you have him a little while longer." He paused, waiting for her to speak but when she didn't, he said: "No need to thank me."

Chloe didn't know what to say.

"So, you loved him?" he asked again.

"Yes. I said that already."

"So now you know how it feels to have someone you love taken away from you. Maybe when you think on that, you can begin to understand me."

Chloe knew she would never understand the savagery that he had committed on so many innocent people. Maybe he could justify it to himself but not to anyone else, including her. But of course she would not say this to him.

They had come to a clearing by the water, a small patch of land that in happier times would be a perfect place for two lovers to spend some alone time. He let go of her arm and walked to a small lean-to shrouded in the bushes. Still clutching the bottle of water, she watched as he laid the blade and her jacket down long enough to pull out a canoe and paddles! "C'mon," he said as he picked up the blade and jacket, putting them in the canoe. He pushed the canoe towards the water.

_Where the hell were they going in this thing?  
_  
"C'mon, Chloe," he said again once he got the canoe into the water. The water was up to his knees. "I don't have a lot of time." He took the blade out and tossed it on the ground.

She realized then that he wasn't going with her.

He let go of the canoe and sloshed out of the water. He came over to where she was standing, grabbed her by the arm, pulled her to the canoe, and helped her to get in.

"Here, take these," he said, trying to give her the paddles, but she just kept clutching the bottle of water and staring at him. "Do you wanna get out of here or not?" he asked.

"Why are you sending me away?"

"No questions, Chloe, I told you that." He pried the bottle from her hands and wrapped her hands around the paddles. Just paddle until you get tired. By then you'll be far enough out so that the current will drift you towards the mainland. You'll be picked up by the Coast Guard." He turned away from her and started sloshing back towards the small patch of land. He stopped, turned around and came back to her. "I'm letting you go because I don't want to kill you. Okay?"

"Aren't you afraid I'm going to tell them all about you?" _Now what made her go and say that?  
_  
"Tell them what? How I had you spend most of the time on your back--"

"Stop it!"

"-- and you liked it? Is that what you're going to tell them?" He laughed. "Yeah, do tell them that, please. My legend really would be cemented for all time: John Wakefield knows how to kill but he also knows how to please the ladies! Or something like that. You can fill in the blanks, making sure you do me justice, of course!"

Chloe was disgusted, thinking he had just used her for this one purpose. But then he pulled her face to him and kissed her long and hard on her mouth. When he tried to pull back she wouldn't let him. They finally released each other and she picked up the paddles again, knowing it was time for her to leave. She leaned forwards then backwards and rotated the paddles.

He stayed in the water for a few moments, watching her, a sinister smile playing across his lips. "You turn me on the way you do that," he said.

"Goodbye, John Wakefield," she said.

"Goodbye, Chloe Carter," he responded before turning and sloshing back to the shore.

Chloe continued paddling as she watched him retrieve the blade. He turned to look out towards her one last time. He then turned away and disappeared into the forest.

---

_**A/N:** Sorry it took me so long to post this. I've had it written for weeks but just got busy with other things. Please let me know what you think :)_


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